If you're worried about your health-insurance coverage, you're not alone. Understanding affordable health insurance options available to you and your family can be confusing. To help people make informed decisions about health insurance, Washington Hospital's Health Insurance Information Service will conduct a free seminar on Tuesday, February 15 that will cover health insurance options that are available to best meet your needs.

At the upcoming seminar, two unbiased health insurance experts will share helpful information on a variety of different health care options and answer your questions that pertain to your specific situation.

Speakers will also discuss the following topics in more detail:

What Type of Health Insurance Is Best For You?

Our health care system comes with a great variety of health insurance options. The options span the spectrum from low cost, minimal coverage to all-inclusive policies. At the upcoming seminar, you will learn about HMO and PPO insurance plans, Medi-Cal and other government sponsored programs.

What is COBRA?

People who have been laid off and had employer-sponsored health insurance are usually eligible for up to 18 months of continued coverage under COBRA, the federal law more formally known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. COBRA requires continuation coverage to be offered to covered employees, their spouses, their former spouses, and their dependent children when group health coverage would otherwise be lost due to an employment lay off. Under COBRA, employers may require individuals who elect continuation coverage to pay the full cost of the coverage, plus a two percent administrative charge. What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It allows people to buy individual health insurance when they lose their group health insurance, even if they have a pre-existing health condition. If you qualify, all health plans that sell individual plans must offer you health insurance. You cannot be denied insurance because of your medical history. HIPPA adds protections and makes it easier to switch jobs without fear of losing health coverage for a preexisting condition.

Government Insurance Options

California offers health coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. This state-sponsored program helps people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of pre-existing health conditions.

Washington On Wheels (W.O.W.) Mobile Health Clinic provides vital health care services to residents in the community that lack health insurance or do not have a regular physician. The dedicated staff of the mobile clinic offer physical exams, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, child and adult immunizations, flu shots and many other medical services. To learn more about the services provided by the Washington On Wheels Mobile Health Clinic, visit www.whhs.com/wow or call (510) 608-3203.

Where do you go when you need a doctor, but it's not an emergency?

Washington's Urgent Care is a convenient and cost-effective alternative to emergency room care. Washington Urgent Care, located on the second floor of Washington West at 2500 Mowry Avenue is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year - to give you high quality urgent care whether you have an appointment or not. The clinic offers both walk-in service and appointments for a range of illnesses and injuries including.

For more information on the mobile clinic schedule or to make an appointment, please call (510) 608-3203. For more information about Washington Urgent Care, visit www.whhs.com/urgentcare or call at (510) 791-CARE (2273) for more information.

Upcoming 2011 Health Insurance Coverage Seminars

Washington Hospital will host a series of health insurance seminars throughout the upcoming year. All seminars are scheduled from 10 a.m. to Noon and will take place at the Conrad E. Anderson, M.D. Auditorium, Room B (Washington West), located at 2500 Mowry Ave., Fremont. To register, call (800) 963-7070 or visit www.whhs.com.

The Health Insurance Coverage Seminars will take place on the following dates:* Tuesday, April 5 - Are You Eligible for Medicare * Tuesday, May 17 - Health Insurance Options: What You Need to Know * Tuesday, September 13 - Health Insurance Options: What You Need to Know * Monday, October 10 - Medicare Open Enrollment * Thursday, October 13 - Medicare Part D Open Enrollment is Approaching Fast: Are You Ready * Friday, October 14 - Medicare Part D Open Enrollment is Approaching Fast: Are You Ready

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